Glenn Peter Beardmore admits to assaulting officer, bar manager at Narellan Hotel

A man has narrowly avoided time behind bars after he spat in the face of a bar manager and a police officer at a southwest Sydney pub.

Glenn Peter Beardmore.

A funeral wake turned violent after a group of friends were asked to leave before one man spat in the face of a bar manager and an officer and tried to flee police, with the magistrate warning him he was close to jail time.

Glenn Peter Beardmore, 38, fronted Picton Local Court and pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer, common assault, hindering arrest and failing to a licensed premises when required.

On August 19, from 3.00pm Beardmore, who lives in Mill Park, Victoria, and a group of friends were at the Narellan Hotel in Camden following his brother’s funeral.

About 10.55pm, the group were asked to leave the premises but became argumentative towards the security guards and the bar manager tried to speak with them when Beardmore spat in his face before a brawl allegedly broke out.

Police soon arrived and when they tried to arrest Beardmore he attempted to flee before a “violent struggle” ensued, court documents state.

After Beardmore was cuffed and lying on the ground he spat in the face of a constable.

At court on Wednesday, defence lawyer Carolyn Shiels said Beardmore was “remorseful” and understood the serious nature of his offences.

Ms Shiels said he was grappling with a mental health condition, struggling with the loss of his brother and had no prior record.

Magistrate David Degnan acknowledged Beardmore’s grief after the loss of his brother, but said the two people whose face he spat in were just doing their job.

“If not for the subjective matters I would be sending him to jail today … you don’t spit in people’s faces in a pandemic... it’s not over we still have people drying from Covid,” he said.

“I find that type of behaviour reprehensible.

“It’s not only an assault on them, it’s a terrible statement of one’s feelings towards them, what their worth is.”

Mr Degnan said the assault offences called for a custodial sentence but it could be served in the community. Beardmore was handed an eight-month intensive correction order and fined $1000.